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ihateharriers, on 21 December 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:
After all of the issues this community has endured over the past 2 months (framerates, really bad netcode, poor economy[that still feels pretty bad], CTDs, the list goes on) I find it very hard to believe that PGI doesn't seem to intend to really give us anything for being some very resilient and tolerant beta testers in a market where, quite frankly, we'd probably be better off spending our money and time somewhere else. You know, a place where things like bug fixing is a focus - not overpriced paints, cockpit holograms, and $30 fail 'mechs.
Since I know the "IT'S A BETA!" cries are coming, let's get something straight - there are well known issues with this game that the community has consensus on, and beta's are designed to spot these issues and fix them; not to create issues to add a growing list of issues that haven't been taken care of yet - and don't seem to be getting taken of in the near future - while adding new content that we have to pay for. This leaves me with the impression that PGI is more dedicated to it's payroll than their current customer and fan base.
This isn't a plea for a handout - this is criticism of the current model that PGI is trying to make money with, which only feels doomed. They can't handle a beta right, they can't do a sale right(to make money, they're most coveted goal of all things!), and they can't treat their customer base right - these aren't exactly hallmarks of success.
Since I know the "IT'S A BETA!" cries are coming, let's get something straight - there are well known issues with this game that the community has consensus on, and beta's are designed to spot these issues and fix them; not to create issues to add a growing list of issues that haven't been taken care of yet - and don't seem to be getting taken of in the near future - while adding new content that we have to pay for. This leaves me with the impression that PGI is more dedicated to it's payroll than their current customer and fan base.
This isn't a plea for a handout - this is criticism of the current model that PGI is trying to make money with, which only feels doomed. They can't handle a beta right, they can't do a sale right(to make money, they're most coveted goal of all things!), and they can't treat their customer base right - these aren't exactly hallmarks of success.
Amazingly well thought out post. Thanks. I tend to agree (although not on all points), and it makes me sad. I really do like this game, and it has so much potential. But I still just can't shake the feeling that unless some drastic changes come down the pipe, it won't survive.
I once talked with a guy who complained to me about having to pitch-in to a collection at work to pay for the office coffee. He said it didn't really bother him, it was just kind of annoying. I told him that any company that can't afford coffee for its employees is going down; that an unwillingness to provide for the people that keep a business going is a symptom (not a cause) of failure that is already happening.
I love the game, I do, but the Beta Testing Environment leaves much to be desired. We get little to no feedback from developers. How many threads on a perceived problem do we need before the devs can tell us that they recognize the issue, or explain to us why it's not broken? All we get now is "Working as Intended" if we get anything at all.
A once (quasi)weekly Q&A where Devs answer questions about their microwaves and ignore the major questions of the community is insufficient feedback to the thousands who are trying to make this game a better experience.
ihateharriers, on 21 December 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:
Since I know the "IT'S A BETA!" cries are coming, let's get something straight - there are well known issues with this game that the community has consensus on, and beta's are designed to spot these issues and fix them; not to create issues to add a growing list of issues that haven't been taken care of yet - and don't seem to be getting taken of in the near future - while adding new content that we have to pay for.
There is a place in the development cycle where adding content before bug fixing is the norm. It's called ALPHA, and in a different time and place, PGI would be paying testers to provide feedback on the game during this stage.
